Han Khan

Chapter 9, Relatives of the Khitans

But Zhang Sheng could really understand it. It suddenly appeared in his memory that Tang'er men, women, young and old bravely resisted the Uighurs' siege. How many men, women, young and old died under the Uighurs' arrows, and how many Tang'er were beheaded by the Ganzhou bandits. These scenes that emerged in his memory made Zhang Sheng clench his fists.

The Cao family, who have been engaged in Silk Road trade for generations, actually wanted to restart the Silk Road and reopen trade.

They intermarried with major families in Dunhuang in order to gain a foothold and status in Dunhuang.

The purpose of restoring peace with the Ganzhou Uighurs was to communicate with the Central Plains and enable them to conduct East-West trade in Dunhuang, thereby achieving greater development.

The process of Cao replacing Zhang was almost a bloodless coup, except for the death of Emperor Zhang Chengfeng.

Even Zhang Sheng's great-uncle Zhang Huaiqing, the emperor's uncle and nephew of Zhang Yichao, and Zhang Yichao's great-nephew, all of whom were leaders of the Buddhist monk group Zhang Xishou, were not liquidated by Cao Yijin and survived.

But is it so?

No, that's not it. The previous incarnation died, killed by Cao Yijin's army. Theoretically, the direct descendants of the Zhang family have become extinct, and the one occupying this body is a soul from the future.

So, from Zhang Sheng's point of view, his body had a deep hatred for Cao Yijin, because his father Zhang Chengfeng died of depression, the Zhang family's power plummeted, he himself was deprived of all power, and "he" was killed.

But from the perspective of the common people and nobles in Guazhou, Shazhou and Dunhuang City today, Cao Yijin's coup benefited everyone, at least it brought peace and stability.

The Cao family became the first noble family in Dunhuang, and Cao Yijin became the governor, but correspondingly, the Cao family and Cao Yijin himself would also bear all the difficulties encountered by the Guiyi Army after its defeat.

After Cao Yijin came to power, he improved the internal and external environment and solved many difficulties. He achieved all this and now has the support of many people. How can he not be proud and satisfied?
"My son-in-law, Guazhou Governor Murong Guiying, led the descendants of the Tuyuhun Murong tribe, who had more than tens of thousands of people and occupied Guazhou.

They are even migrating their people to Shazhou, and are even preparing to pay tribute to the Central Plains alone! Dalang should understand the danger of Tang'er, the Han people, today!

The number of male descendants in Hexi Tang'er was dwindling, with more girls than boys. Most of the surplus girls were married off to the Murong family.

At the same time, the Murong family did not hesitate to let the girls in the clan marry poor Han men or even become their concubines, thus marrying a large number of girls to the Tang'er in Hexi.

The people of Guazhou supported Murong Guiying as the governor, and I could do nothing about it, because the Tang'er of Guazhou had already regarded Murong as one of their own. They no longer regarded Murong as Tuyuhun people, but as Han people. "

The bandits in Ganzhou also watched Dunhuang covetously. Although they were unable to swallow Dunhuang, they continued to allow many nomadic Uighurs to enter the two states of Gua and Sha to harass and attack the people of Dunhuang, increasing the proportion of Uighurs in Dunhuang. Now, Uighurs appeared among the officials under Cao Yijin's rule.

Cao Yijin needed to resolve the conflict with Zhang Sheng, and even let him join the current Guiyi Army to increase the strength of the Han people and at the same time become a faction to suppress Murong Guiying, which led to this peace talk.

Zhang Sheng raised his head and looked at the dazzling sunlight. Cao Yijin was doing a great job and bringing peace and tranquility to the people. They should live a prosperous life in the future.

"You shouldn't worry. The only patriarch of the Murong family, Murong Guiying, has made outstanding contributions, but he is old. The Murong family has no capable people and cannot threaten your rule. The Tuyuhun people who moved here will eventually increase the strength of the Guiyi Army." Zhang Sheng said calmly.

But he remembered that from now on, this land would be completely assimilated by the Uighurs. The Cao family's big-power mentality of following whoever is stronger and constantly recognizing the eldest brother in order to survive was the helplessness of a small country or a small region.

In the future, this land will be ruled and assimilated by the Uighurs of Ganzhou, the Dangxiang Qiang of the Tuoba clan, the Khitans, and the Mongols, and finally be completely greened by the Muslims from the Caliphate and become followers of the Muslims, which will be very different from the people in the Central Plains. The brave and warlike figure of the Han Chinese Tang'er will disappear here forever.

But in history, the Murong clan did not become a major separatist force independent of the Guiyi Army. After Murong Guiying, the Murong clan had no successor and continued to submit to Cao Yijin and his descendants.

The Guiyi Army period in Dunhuang was an era of mutual stimulation between families and nations.

The Zhang family of Dunhuang represents the Han family inheritance since the Han Dynasty.

The Xianbei Murong represented the vigorous Hu style of the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

The Sogdian Cao family represented the harmony of the Silk Road during the Sui and Tang dynasties. A new era is beginning.

Zhang Sheng is indeed a variable, a variable bestowed upon this world by the gods from heaven. This variable should not be a variable here, and his mission is not to live here. "I will leave...! The Han people of Jinshan will not perish, and heaven has bestowed upon me a noble mission!" Zhang Sheng seemed to be talking to himself.

"What did Dalang say?" Cao Yijin looked at Zhang Sheng who was muttering in confusion and asked.

By the Shule River outside Dunhuang City, Zhang Sheng looked at the birds flying across the sky and had already made up his mind.

"I said, I will not surrender. For the past 150 years, the Nanyang Longshe Zhang family has led the Hexi Tang people to fight bloody battles to defeat the Tibetans and recover the Hexi region for this land, so that the Han people will no longer be enslaved and to return to the Tang Dynasty. They have paid the lives and efforts of several generations.

However, the Tang court treated our Zhang family like foreign enemies and barbarians. They were suspicious, suppressed, and exploited us. They never provided us with any support or help. They also used the shameful title of Jiedushi of the small Guiyi Army to cause bloody infighting among our Zhang, Suo, and Li families. Now our Zhang, Suo, and Li families have all been wiped out.

Even so, I will never surrender. There is only Zhang Sheng who died in battle, not Zhang Sheng who surrendered. The Tang Dynasty has perished.

But I am the descendant of the Chinese people, the descendants of the Qin people, the Han people, and the people of Jinshan in the Western Han Dynasty. I am not only a Guiyi soldier or a Tang person. "Zhang Sheng looked back at Cao Yijin and said to him calmly.

Cao Yijin stared at Zhang Sheng in astonishment, not understanding what he was talking about. If he didn't return to Dunhuang, where could this kid go? Everything in the Zhang family was here. But before he could speak, Zhang Sheng continued.

"My great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather died in Chang'an for their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty.

My great-uncle died in the civil strife, my grandfather died of illness while serving as a military governor, and my father swore to never surrender and died as the emperor of the Jinshan Kingdom. The Zhang family has never had peace for generations.

It was Dunhuang and the noble families of Dunhuang who let down our Zhang family. Our Zhang family did not let down Dunhuang or the Guiyi Army. It is you who dare not fight again and you are cowardly.

Guiyi Army, Guiyi? Humph! In the eyes of the Tang court, my Zhang family and the Tang people in Hexi are actually equated with barbarians and Hu people. From now on, my Zhang family no longer needs the shitty name of Guiyi Army. "

Yes, this title given to the barbarian tribe was actually given to the Tang people who yearned for Chang'an and longed to return to the Tang Dynasty. This is not a humiliation, Cao Yijin thought.

"Well, yes. For the small position of Guiyi Army, the various families in Dunhuang have been fighting for many years, but now we are struggling to survive under the iron hoof of the Hu people. Dalang, what do you want to do?" Cao Yijin said.

"I promise you a ceasefire, but you must return my Zhang family's Golden Mountain Emperor's Seal, and return my people and their families who are left in Dunhuang.

After today, I will lead my troops to leave Dunhuang and no longer interfere with your rule, how about that? " Zhang Sheng said decisively.

Cao Yijin looked at Zhang Sheng in shock. In the area of ​​Gua and Sha states, to the south was the towering Qilian Mountains, and across that were Qingtang and Tubo.

Although the Western Regions in the west are also the former territory of the Tang Dynasty, now there are Uighurs everywhere from Qiuci to Beiting. It seems that only the Jin Kingdom (Khotan Kingdom) still respects the Central Plains and protects the Han people.

But the road to the west was blocked by some Uighur tribes. Moreover, how could a large army of tens of thousands of people reach Khotan through the barren southern Silk Road?
If they wanted to go east to the Central Plains, their way would be blocked by their enemy, the Ganzhou Uighurs.

He hoped to reach a ceasefire with Zhang Sheng and have him join the Guiyi Army, but if Zhang Sheng did not join, as long as a ceasefire was reached, that would also be acceptable.

He would not rely on Zhang Sheng for the safety of the Guiyi Army. Now that this guy proposed to leave Dunhuang, it would definitely be beneficial for him to secure his position as the governor of the Guiyi Army.

"Da Lang, uncle agrees. Today, the Zhang family's manor is still intact. The slaves, tenants, and livestock are still there. So far, I have not interfered.

Your great-uncle Huaiqing and your elder brother Xishou, the chief monk, are still alive. I have never harmed them, so Dalang, don't worry that your uncle will embezzle your Zhang family's private property.

As an uncle, I want to know where Dalang is going. Cao Yijin said quickly, as if everything could be discussed.

Zhang Sheng looked at Cao Yijin with disgust. This guy just said that it was not his wish to take the position of the Guiyi Army. But now he heard that Zhang Sheng was not going to fight a bloody battle with him and wanted to leave Dunhuang, and he looked like he was ready to be ordered around. It was really...

"Dunhuang! Although it is the place where I was born and raised, it is not my permanent residence now. I keep my word. I don't care about the small position of Jiedushi of Guiyi Army, so I will never affect your status and rule as Jiedushi Cao. I now have two thousand cavalrymen under my command, and they come and go like the wind. Where can't I go?"

(End of this chapter)